Trump is about to receive an unprecedented "magic carpet" welcome from Saudi King Salman

Of course, no Saudi royal guest accorded such a triumphant welcome can arrive empty handed. Nothing pleases a Saudi host than a new mega dose of American arms. Just in time to coincide with the President’s visit, the United States will unveil in Riyadh a “ginormous” arms deal fit for a king brokered by Jared Kushner and Crown Prince Mohammed in the neighborhood of $110 BILLION over 10 years.

Yup- that's $110 Billion!!!

110 BILLION DOLLARS!!!!

And there are some who bitch that Israel gets 3 to 4 billion a year to assure it's effective defence against the nations surrounding it that pray and prepare for its destruction.

My own personal feeling is that very few Americans care much about this trip. Even Trump's fans . All they want him to do is attack liberals Clinton and Obama.

My own personal feeling is that very few Americans care much about this trip.

Probably true-- most of the comments on news articles on the 'net (whether foreign or domestic) seem to be about the person who comments using it as an opportunity to advance their political agenda.

Of course there are some folks-- both liberal & conservative-- to whom this is very important:

-Investors in defense stocks.

-Labour Unions ....in defense plants....

Of course there are some folks-- both liberal & conservative-- to whom this is  very  important:

-Investors in defense stocks.

-Labour Unions ....in defense plants....

See, for example:

Northrop Grumman Announces 11% Hike in Quarterly Dividend

Falls Church, VA-based Northrop Grumman Corp. NOC announced that its board of directors has approved an increase in the quarterly dividend by 10 cents, bringing the annualized payout to $4 per share, up 11% from $3.60 paid earlier.

Increasing dividend has become an annual ritual for this defense major. This will mark the 14th consecutive annual dividend hike by Northrop Grumman.

I'm just waiting for the fuck up and to see how bad of a fuck up it will be. I mean you just know there is going to be one. He does so on a such a regular basis that it is almost impossible for him to go 9 days without making a complete ass out of himself and embarrassing America at least once!

I'm just waiting for the fuck up and to see how bad of a fuck up it will be. I mean you just know there is going to be one. He does so on a such a regular basis that it is almost impossible for him to go 9 days without making a complete ass out of himself and embarrassing America at least once!

And this trip is especially risky for him. He's visiting countries that have holy sites for the three major western religions. All of which have some controversy:

1. Saudi Arabia, which has the 2 major Muslim Holy cities: Mecca and Medina. And Saudi Arabia is controversial for many reasons-- their horrendous record of Human rights. There brutal participation in the ongoing War in Yemen (which doesn't get enough coverage in the U.S. media). Their backing of just about any forces in Syria opposing Assad (which includes some very radical elements). Etc.

2. Israel: Whatever comments he makes are bound to piss off either the Israelis ..or the Palestinians! (Of course, knowing Trump, he's probably capable of pissing off both simultaneously!).

3. The Vatican: In the past Trump has made some nasty comments bashing the Pope.

These are all areas of controversy. And as you said-- knowing Trump's tendency to shoot of his mouth without thinking...the results could be serious. 

Then there is NATO and the G7. Mucho chances to piss people off.

Trump meetings (summits) with Arab (Muslim) leaders should be interesting to say the least. I would imagine that Trump's staff is holding their breath that the Twitter in Chief sticks to the script and not do his usual of getting into things that he has little or no knowledge of. I would think that they want to leave Saudi Arabia in one piece. 

He has a big downside on this trip. I'm not sure he has that much of an upside.

I saw a story on the news today which stated that NATO has had to simplify it's presentation to accommodate Trump's short attention span.

Trump meetings (summits) with Arab (Muslim) leaders should be interesting to say the least. I would imagine that Trump's staff is holding their breath that the Twitter in Chief sticks to the script and not do his usual of getting into things that he has little or no knowledge of. I would think that they want to leave Saudi Arabia in one piece. 

Tonight on MSNBC Chris Matthews played a collage of clips of Trump's comments about Muslims. I hadn't realized how many he made-- and how extreme some of them were. Normally I wouldn't expect Trump be loved much in the Arab world!

But there's another factor-- politics! (The hatred between The Arabs and the Iranians is intense-- so the Saudis are willing to overlook what Trump said.)

True the Saudi's hate the Iranians, but I can't imagine that they will forget the many insults Trump has thrown their way. Long memories will trump (pun) Trump, somewhere down the line.

True the Saudi's hate the Iranians, but I can't imagine that they will forgot the many insults Trump has thrown their way. Long memories will trump (pun) Trump, somewhere down the line.

Maybe in the future..

But most of the U.S. media gives a distorted view of the Middle-Reastern conflicts-- that the major problem is that Arab-Israeli conflict. 

Of course Arab rulers blow that up-- they need a scapegoat to turn their subjects anger away form their own miserable gov'ts.

But The really intense hatred (& fear) in the Gulf States is of Iran (& their SDhiite allies)-- few Americans realize that. 

(In fact there have been a few hints that at this point the Gulf States may secretly wish that Israel is militarily powerful-- as a counter to Iran!)

But I do agree-- it is a bit strange. 

(I wanted to post that video collage of Trump's anti-Mus;lim statements earlier today-- but it wasnted posted on the Internet yet-- sometimes its up the next day)

(I wanted to post that video collage of Trump's anti-Muslim statements earlier today-- but it wasn't posted on the Internet yet-- sometimes its up the next day)

It's been posted. Unbelieveable! This is YUGE--believe me! (Amazing stuff for a guy who's about to visit a Muslim country)

Trump will explain this away as, hmmmm as what....Oh, Obama made him say it, or was it Clinton. I've got it now, the devil made him do it.

BTW, Trump et al were on their way to Saudi Arabia when the latest bad news broke...I'll bet that plane was in chaos....

BTW, Trump et al were on their way to Saudi Arabia when the latest bad news broke...I'll bet that plane was in chaos....

I wonder if Trump will try to fix his problems as he usually does-- by tweeting about the Comey situation, the Russians, etc-- while he's in Saudi Arabia and those other countries! (Imagine him saying to the Saudi King: "Excuse me your Highness, but I can't speak with you now-- I'm busy with more important things-- I have to Tweet about how unfairly I'm being treated by some American politicians and news reporters!..)

You can bet that while on the plane he handled it the same way he does in the White House. By stomping around and screaming at the TV like a spoiled brat.

One of Trump's meetings will be "with 50 Muslim leaders and religious representatives from across the Muslim world."

I wonder, but doubt, that he might tell them that if they want peace in the Middle East, and the co-operation of the USA, that they should stop declaring hatred and jihad against Israel and Jews generally. What an opportunity, but I don't think he has the balls to do it.

but I don't think he has the balls to do it.

Of course one could also argue that Trump's problems is that he has too much balls-- he's not afraid of saying anything! (I think a lot of his staff's time each day is trying to minimize the damage done by his outbursts).

And BTW-- most Americans seem to believe that the Saudis main enemy is Israel. And while its true that, like most Arab countries, they spread hatred of Jews amongst their population, the fact is: they know that Israelmis not a danger to them-- there's no way Israel is going to launch an unprovoked attack on Saudi Arabia.

But the enemy that the Saudis (& the Gulf states) feel is the real threat is--mIran! (In fact that's why they are buying YUGE amounts of advanced weaponry-- not because of any perceived threat from Israel-- but because they want to defend themselves from a possible attack from Iran!

This is the Magic Carpet Ride he should have been on.